Golf club



A. E. LARD GOLF CLUB April 2, 1935.

7 .10. INVENTOR H Filed March 13, 1934 /4//an iLard ATTORNEY.

v Patented Apr. 2, 1 93.5

Y This invention relates to golf clubs andparticularly to means providing for the color ornamentation of golf shaftsand the thereof against mutilation.

As is well known, a plurality .or' set of golf clubs is customarily, carried in abagor'th'e like,.

,, in a single'compartment thereof The clubs when being carried in the bagythereforey'may jostle r,It has been proposed tournament the shafts ofgolf clubs by" ornamental surface finish of. the shaft or by applying color thereto, 'etc.,- but b'e- Y cause the, clubs'impinge on each other a nd may abrasivelygdragover each other as above .re-

.ferred to, suchorn'ainentation'is quickly mutilated whenthefc'lubs are putrin use and soon a. vide' a golf shaft havingi'a construction adapted to improved color ornamentation thereof'andto eifect protection of the ornamentation from muti- W method and-meansbut are preferably ,pohshed Llation which may: occur as above described;

I in the art to which my invention appertainsv bodying my invention";

Fig. 2 is an elevational viewbf the shaftaloneof Fig. l, the transverse dimensions of the shaft of this figure being increas'edior clearness;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a'mode'of operation of my inventionf r Fig. 3 drawn to a larger scale;

jFig. 5'is a cross-sectional view taken from the plane 5-5' of Fig. 4,."theview being'also taken approximately fromthe plane 5-4-5 of Fig. 2; I Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view sin'iilar to a part of v. lo ut taken from the plane 6-6 of Fig; 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view to a greatly increased scale of apart of-Fig95 or of Fig.16 or are. '1;

; I 9 is a fragmentary,cross-sectional view preservation a illustrating a modification;

'a stillfurther modification;.f j ;v e As will appe'arhereinafter', a golf club orla golf 7 may taper toward the clubhea'd 4; a

' Otheroliiects will: be apparent to thosefskiilled golfclubeme e I in cross-section greatly'magmfied' F .5 blades Sand 28 Fig. 7 isa cross-sectional view taken from'the V g "generallysimilar to a part of 5 and illustrat ing atstep'of process which I mayemploy;

Fig; 10.sa viewlgenerally'simila toFl Fig, 11 is a fragmentary. cross-sectional view of a. shaft embodying my invention and shaft embodying my invention may bema'de from wood, .or-metal; or-other suitable materials. j JHQ W- ever, in the 'ins'tant'application: I .have'illustrated andwilldescribe my invention as embodied in a illustrating tubular shaft of metal such as 'steeL' Such'a shaftxis indicated generallyat' I in the drawing. Extending longitudinally of the shaft 1 isa plur'ality such forexample as eight, of grooves 2+2 which, in the particular. embodiment.illustrated, are formed t by making longitudinally. extending indentations in'the wall of .the tubular shafti a The lower'end'of the shaft 1 1 is inserted into} ,the'hosel 3 of a golfclub head 4 ;1-and'1the, other end is provided .with a handle grip 5; {I'heshaft renders themmore unsightly than if the ornamentationiihadnot been applied. Y I It is an object of thepresentinvention to 'pro- "Any suitable apparatus and. methodgmaytbe employed to .form the grooves 2+2 in thewall of.

thetubular shaft. The'longitudinally extending intermediate portionsG- -B between the grooves 2,--2{may' be externally finishedbyany suitable upon the wall oi -each groove extending longi- I tudinally thereoveriand preferably of a color'con- 'Ztrasting withthatof the intermediate portions f 6-6.: The color stripe is indicated at 11in 'Preferably'the"shaft,,or theintermediate'porthen 'given a coat of black lacquerin'which the grooves may be colored white."

be variously shaped- Somesurfaces thereof may be straight, some curved irregularly and some circular and the corners'and edge portions may .have angles more or lessacute' as'shownfor-"the. 5 of Fig'.5;,and 29'ofFig. 4 and 4 of- Aswill'bereadily understood, therefore, if the would become mutilated by i the impact 'of they -tions 6--6 thereof, is jchromium-plated'jand f 'npoli'shed' and the grooves are colored lavender v .or1purple: tor, the shaft may be parkeriized and,} 0 case Theblades 4 of different clubsof'aset'may" stripe or other configuration of color ornamentation Were-applied to outer portions of the shaft, such. for example as: to "the intermediate longi .tudinally 'extendingportions 6-6; itvery quickly i head ofone club on the shaft of another club when carried in the golf bag, somewhat as illustrated for examplein Fig. 3 wherein, in a golf bag 8, the head 4 ofone club impinges upon the shaft l of another club; or would be mutilated. by the abrasive action between the head of one club and the shaft of another club when the said other clubwere withdrawn from the bag, for example, referring to 'Fig. 3, when the shaft l is withdrawn, from the-bag and drags with abrasive action-upon. the. adjacent portions of the head 4 of theother club.

In the practice of my invention, the mutilation of the color ornamentation is prevented. To this end, the width of the grooves 22 is restricted and the depth thereof is extended seat/hat .not

' ofsthe outer end orwtoeof an=iron head. with a merLedgeor.relativelysharp angle of aniron wheadaSQand ilIustrating the degree of .extension shaft; 'to'illustlate thedegree of restriction of the Jwiidthiof theigrooves,sand in the same figure is indicated the engagement with a shaft of a corof the groove depthi'and demonstratingv that allthough thecorner orcedge of said head may'penewtrateintda grooved, itcannot. contactthe wall thereof 1 or; mutilate .the. color stripe hereon.

.. xIUiSSthBJIOli clubs, particularly the less lofted 1 iron clubs .suchas the putter, that aremost liable utoenter 3a. groove and mutilate the color stripe; andsif the grooves ,aresufiiciently-narrow and .-1deep,.as .stated; to:preventmutilationbythese clubs, x-they .will prevent mutilation .by all. other .cluhsmFor this .reason only iron head clubs have been:illustratedanddescribed. v But it will be clear that myinventionmayzbepracticed with .clubsihavingheadsof wood. I v

. :Innpplying the. coloiustripe :to the .grooves, the

.-. paint, ."duco, lacguer-or-lthe like .may :be applied with a brush of suitable sizeto paintthe stripe.

with welll defined llateral edges. .Or, if preferred,

.the method partly illustrated .in :Fig. *9 :may be employed; .th'evgroove :may be painted with a 1;-b1115h without .particular care :to give the stripe ucleanecutlateraledges and the paint may'in fact extend to ,thec-generally .cylindrical portions of the shaftgadjacent the sides of the groove. ZI'hen whilethepaintis'still wet, aztoolzindicated at 12 shavingtheeformof a-golfclub head and particurlar yihaving an edge portion ;l;3 the angle of -,w,hich isat least as acute aszthat of any angle or edge on the-.clubheads of a set :of clubs, is

covered with a-fabriccover or sock A .4. The fabric ,goiverededge !;3' is then wet 1withturpentinetand :mrojected into gthe groove ,2 as far as-it willgo thecolor stripe is limited to those portions of the 165 g'r oov e ,-vvhich cannot possibly be reached by any -,-portion of any of the .club heads of .the set.

' I ithe form of Figs. '1 to 8 inclusive, the grooves if? are substantially of uniform depth and-width throughout the length of the shaft. In .Fig. 10 have showna modification in which the grooves itaper'infwidth or in width and depth toward the smallend of-the shaft. If desired furthermore,

. gas shownin -Fig.=-10, the grooves may be formed only .inthe'intermediate portion of the shaft jstarting lat-a point adjacent the handle grip portion and terminating at or somewhat above the hosel.

In Fig. 11 is indicated a further modification. It has been proposed to cover metal golf shafts with a layer of material such as celluloid. This may be done either by dipping the shaft in lacquer or in fluid pyroxylin and allowing the coating thus applied to harden. A shaft having grooves therein as illustrated and described in connection with Figs. 2 or 10 may becoated with celluloid orahard material of pyroxylin base or the like, and the grooves in the shaft, now

coated with the celluloid layer, may be painted ,with a duco or other color stripe.

As another means and method of applying a layer of. celluloid or the like to the shaft, a tube ,of celluloid mayv be .formed substantially of the size and shape of the exterior of the shaft and after heating the same in hot water it may be telescoped over the shaft and allowed to cool and shrink thereon and to adhere tightly and permanently thereto- Grooves may-be previously-formedin the-celluloid shell thus provided to register and nest with-the grooves in theshaft; or, the grooves may .be formed simultaneously in the shell and shaft after-the shell has been applied; 'In either case, the grooves maybe .painted with a'color stripe as above described, -preferably using duco or like paint having a pyroxylin base.

In :Fig. 11 is illustrated in cross-section the appearance of a shaft :15 having grooves 16 therein and a'celluloid or the like shell l'l thereon having corresponding ggrooves :I8nested with the grooves t6 of the shaft. The color characterwistic of the groovesiil8 :is indicated :by .the difference in cross-hatching of 'the rgrooved :tions l8 of .the .:shell :lc'l.

- #My inventionqis :not limited :to .any specific :means .orrmethod of producing thezgrooves in ztheshaft. 'Where'tubular steel shafts are used, :the methodrand means :of makingtho known and :in some cases commercial grooved shafts may .por...

be employed. :Ifitzbe desired :tosimilarly groove ;a shaft of woodfor other material, the grooves :may he :formed therein by any .well known pmethoid. A i

Neither :15 my :invention 'limited to 'a plurality of color s riped grooves; nor 'to :a .color striped groove ror grooves extending longitudinally of the shaft. i

ln other {respects also my invention is not limited to the exact details illustrated and described. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope andspirit of my invention without departing therefrom as setforth .in the appended claims.

V 'I claim: y}

1. In la-golf club, a shaft havinga head 'thereon, the shaft having a-longitudinally extending outwardly open groove in the outersurface there- .,of having .a .color stripe of -paint=or the like extending longitudinally along and in the groove, the groove being of restricted substantially constant widthand extended substantially constant depth whereby when .the head of ,any club is .disposed adjacent to the shaft of said club with the shafts of both clubs extending generally in the same direction, all, portions of the said head are-prevented from entering the groove to engage and mutilate the shaft groove stripe of the said club.

'2. In a golf club, a shaft having a head thereon, the shaft having a plurality of longitudinally extending outwardly open grooves in the outer surface thereof, a color stripe of paint or the tially constant width and extended substantially constant depth whereby when the head of any club is disposed adjacent the shaft of said club with the shafts of both clubs extending generally in the same direction, all portions of the said head are prevented from'entering any of the grooves of the said club to engage and mutilate the shaft groove stripes thereof.

3. In a golf club, a shaft having a handle grip supporting portion on one end and a club head supporting portion on the other end, and a groove in the outer surface of the shaft of a width less than the thickness of an iron type club and of a depth substantially corresponding to its width and a color stripe of paint or the like in the groove.

4. In a golf club, a shaft having a handle grip supporting portion on one end and a club head supporting portion on the other end, and a longi-, tudinally extending groove in the outer surface of i the groove, the groove being of substantially constant restricted width and substantially constant extended depth whereby when the head of any club is disposed adjacent to the shaft of said club with the shafts of both clubs extending generally in the same direction, all portions'of the said head are prevented from entering the groove to engage and mutilate the shaft groove stripe of the said club.

6. In a golf club, a shaft having a head thereon, the shaft having a plurality of longitudinally extending outwardly open grooves in the outer surface thereof, a color stripe of paint or the like in each groove, thegrooves being of substantially constant restricted width and substantially constant extended depth whereby when the head of any club is disposed adjacent the shaft of said club with the shafts of both clubs extending generally in the same direction, all portions 7 of the said head are prevented from entering any of the grooves of the said club to engage and mutilate the shaft groove stripes thereof.

7. A shaft for golf clubs, formed to have longitudinally extending outwardly presented recesses and an inlaid decorative stripe applied to the inner wall of therecesses, the recesses being of a Width and depth as to protectively guard against damage to said stripe by the heads of other golf clubs carried in a golf bag adjacent to said shaft.

ALLAN E. LARD.v 

